Monday, January 30, 2012

Test of Metal - The Metal Island: The Game, Waiting

“You know, these little tricks of yours are actually cute, when you’re pulling them on somebody else.”

Tezzeret managed what was, for a human, a reasonably good approximation of the dragon’s grin. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

(Clearly Tezzeret is going to win out in the end, and this is some foreshadowing to that. The question is how...)

Nicol Bolas tells Baltrice that she's as adorable as a fire-breathing puppy. But she isn't up for any kind of compliments from the dragon and she lets insults fly in retaliation. Soon her insults force him to knock her unconscious. Bolas turns to Tezzeret and expresses that she doesn't have his gift for good conversation.

And speaking of conversation, Bolas asks him how it is that he partitioned his mind to trick Jace, and finds it interesting that he was able to convince Doctor Jest to go along with the plan of being tortured. Tezzeret counters that what is actually interesting is that Bolas is now resorting to asking questions rather than simply diving into his mind to extract the information.

Bolas tries to play it off like going into Tezzeret's mind is as enjoyable as diving into a septic tank. He asks Tezzeret what the device was that he threw at Jace and asks Tezzeret to humor him. The answer is that it's sort of a mechanical Doctor Jest.

Bolas barely manages to show some surprise at the answer before cocking his head as if listening for something. Tezzeret asks who it is that he's expecting, but after a few moments nothing happens, and Bolas wants to resume with their previous conversation.

Tezzeret smiled. “You’re still asking.”

Nicol Bolas decides that it's time to stop playing games and it's time to dive right back in, which only gives more fuel for Tezzeret to speculate on.

This only infuriates Nicol Bolas more, so he tries another approach. Why not take a peek into the mind of Jace Beleren. It's something he's been waiting to do for such a long time.

As the twisting energy lash of Bolas’s memory siphon attached itself to Jace Beleren’s forehead and the mind ripper’s memories began to flow into the dragon’s mind, an attentive observer might have noticed a slight, almost infinitesimal, deepening of the wrinkles at the corners of Tezzeret’s eyes and mouth, as though the artificer might be trying, and failing, to keep a straight face.

* * *

Very Nice

Wonderful chapter. Maybe because it's straight to the point, gives us all kinds of relevant hints towards things to come, and isn't filled with unnecessary repetition. In fact, this chapter is only 20-25% the size of the other chapters read so far.

Mystery Person

Who can it be? Liliana Vess would be the final major character from Agents of Artifice yet to make an appearance in this book, so that would be my guess.